Let me introduce you to Quady McCawface. He is a giant teddy bear and a fanatical All Black’s supporter. He is the alter ego of my friend Ra Tawhiti, Maori and one-eyed AB supporter (if that is not a tautology). Quady and I watch Bledisloe games together—me supporting the Wallabies and he the ABs. The rest of the time he is a cat bed.
Boaty McBoatface
When I named Quady (after Quade Cooper and Richie McCaw, Australian and NZ rugby players respectfully) I was referencing Boaty McBoatface. In 2016 the UK Government ran a public poll to name a new £200 million polar research vessel. A radio announcer suggested Boaty McBoatface as a joke, it went viral and won the poll decisively. It won, not because voters thought it was a suitable name for a ship, but because it fitted a particular meme, of responding to crowd-sourced internet naming processes.
The UK Government, somewhat embarrassed, rejected the name. Instead, they called it the RRS Sir David Attenborough. But as a concession to the poll participants, gave the name to one of the vessel’s unmanned submersibles.
The process of naming something “Characteristic McCharacteristic” as a response to a crowdsourcing exercise is now called “boatfacing”. Last week’s post looked at the 2017 Whitechapel fatberg which was named Fatty McFatberg.
Hooty McOwlface
But boatfacing did not start with Boaty. Its evolution proved elusive but I have the definitive story, which has not been told in its entirety elsewhere (so no plagiarising this dear reader).
The first publicised and now well established origin of the boatfacing phenomena is Hooty McOwlface. In 2010, Kirkleatham Owl Centre, an animal rescue centre in North Yorkshire, ran an adopt-a-bird program. One sponsor dubbed their bird (a Boobook Owl) Hooty McOwlface.
Ferry McFerryface
In 2017 Sydney had its own Boaty McBoatface crisis when one of its new Harbour Ferries attracted attention after being named Ferry McFerryFace by popular vote. The Maritime Union of Australia objected to the name, calling it inappropriate and refused to operate the ferry. It was officially named the Emerald 6 (but everyone knows it is Ferry McFerryface).
Trainy McTrainface
After the disappointment of Boaty McBoatface (and if they knew, Ferry McFerryface) a 2017 Swedish call to name four of their new Stockholm and Gothenburg express trains resulted in one of them becoming Trainy McTrainface. The Swede’s were much more on board with the spirit of it all (and the three other trains got more mainstream names).
Tenty McTentface
In 2023 a fire destroyed part of Harrisburg’s (Philadelphia,USA) Broad Street Market. The city’s 2024 competition to name the large temporary tent resulted in Tenty McTentface.
Mr Splashy Pants
The origin of boatfacing does go back a little further. It didn’t start exactly with the Characteristic McCharacteristic form. Perhaps the original “boatfacing” incident, in terms of a PR naming campaign that went viral was in 2007. Greenpeace threw open the naming of a hunchback whale that they were going to track on its migration.
Mischief makers using social media generated thousands of votes for “Mr Splashy Pants”. Greenpeace tried to shut it down but it went viral. Greenpeace eventually honoured the vote giving the whale the name instead of some terribly earnest alternatives, e.g. Aiko, Mira, Kaimana and Aurora.
Although Greenpeace were seen to have lost the initiative in controlling the poll, the resultant publicity far exceeded what they would have received if the poll had been taken seriously.
Cutie McPretty
This is the unveiling. There is a strong case to suggest the concept of nicknaming someone or something with the form “Characteristic McCharacteristic” in popular culture comes from the American sitcom “Friends”. In Season 6, Episode 18, (aired 9 March 2000) Ross, a college lecturer, admits to his ex-student girlfriend that he had given all his students nicknames because he couldn’t remember their real names. He gives the example of “Smelly Von Brown Shirt” and then admits that he had called her “Cutie McPretty”.
Quady McCawface
When I christened Quady McCawface I didn’t know the deep history of the tradition. Owls, whales, ferries, trains, tents, or teddy bears I love the way we want to have fun with words.
Ultimately, public relations exercises are ripe for boatfacing. PR people want free publicity through crowd-sourcing but in the social media savvy world we live in they have to pay a price. That price is the crowd gets to have some fun. And that is what makes boatfacing such a joy.